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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23171884">business as usual</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/greywardenblue/pseuds/greywardenblue'>greywardenblue</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>October Daye Works [26]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>October Daye Series - Seanan McGuire</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Fictober 2019, Gen</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-03-16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-03-16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 14:15:49</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>386</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23171884</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/greywardenblue/pseuds/greywardenblue</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Perhaps Arden was right when she suspected most of her reign would be explaining October to people.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>October Daye Works [26]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2249427</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>48</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>business as usual</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Prompt:<br/>"It's not always like this."</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Arden was in the middle of an explanation about their rehabilitation of Deep Faerie creatures when October waltzed in with her squire and the Prince of Cats, all three of them covered in blood to different degrees.</p><p>Quentin froze when he saw the High Monarchs and made an attempt to hide the blood on his clothes. When he realized that wasn’t going to work, he said, “It’s not mine,” defensively, like that made things better.</p><p>“Your Majesties,” Toby said, and to her credit, she actually bowed properly. It was probably better that she didn’t try to curtsy, so Arden mentally gave her a pass. “Queen Windermere, I would very much like to borrow your hope chest.”</p><p>Arden sighed. “I thought you didn’t need one anymore?”</p><p>“I do when I’m like this,” Toby said, holding a lock of dark brown hair between her fingers. “I’ve been trying to work out how to use my powers when this weak, but so far, no progress. There is a limit.” She let go of her hair and went on. “Where is your brother, by the way? I need to talk to him about his mast climbing and complete lack of fear of heights.”</p><p>Arden stared. “Are you about to drag my brother into something dangerous?”</p><p>“Wouldn’t be the first time I took a Prince into a war zone,” Toby said, gesturing at her entourage. “But no, actually, his part in the plan is the safest. Really. Definitely not more dangerous than that whole mess at the Duchy of Ships, and you approved that one.”</p><p>Arden took a deep breath and mentally counted to ten, then told Toby Nolan’s location with the explicit order that he would come see her before he goes off with Toby, and then sent a guard to retrieve the hope chest.</p><p>Once the room emptied, she looked back at the High Monarchs. “It’s not always like this,” she said, although she wasn’t sure who she was trying to convince.</p><p>Queen Maida looked a little concerned, but King Aethlin looked more amused. “If the letters of my son are anything to go by, it <em>is </em>always like that. And I still suspect the letters are heavily censored. That is a conversation for later, however. You were saying about the stables…?”</p><p>Arden nodded once, then continued her explanation. </p>
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